Sea World!

This morning we met our friends at Sea World. Charlotte had to bring "ginky and night night" (her binky and her blanket). Once she wanted to get out of the stroller and drag "night night" around I quickly put an end to that and made her sit if she wanted it... reasoning with a two year old is quite fun!After we saw the dolphins and penguins we stopped at the Bay of Play. Charlotte was insistent on riding the teacup ride. She waited in line and was all smiles when the ride started, but quickly buried her head into my lap when we started spinning!
I really enjoy how theme parks make their money. Not only do they charge you an arm and a leg for parking, (ok $12 but still!) but they set up kid magnets all over and force you to walk through them. Charlotte of course was drawn to the toys and I had to drag her away kicking and screaming every time. I don't mind getting her a little present here and there for being well behaved, but a 3" Elmo doll was $15!!!
She quickly got over it... until the next time!
They have an actual Elmo there, and Charlotte was thrilled with him, however she didn't want to get too close to him!
While I was giving Sue a change of clothes for Anna (who got herself soaking wet in the spray fountain, and I just so happened to have about 4 outfits in my bag in case of an accident or two) I turned my back and when I turned back around Charlotte was gone. Now, I can only admit this because I know it has happened to every mom at least once, but boy do you get a panicked feeling. I know she couldn't have walked out of the park herself, but its like in a flash they are among a group of other toddlers and you have to find them! I found her very quickly... she was back trying to talk to Elmo!
Maisie and Anna sat nicely with Elmo, however Charlotte chose to watch from a far.
We played on some of the cool play structures they have before we headed home. Charlotte was very pleased with herself for getting the blocks, until this little girl kept taking every block Charlotte brought over to me. Her dad was sitting right there too!!! Poor Charlotte just went to find another.
Eventually she decided that in the process of getting a second block, she should bring the first block with her to protect it!
We have a very fun and a successful accident free morning out of the house! Of course once we were home I was suckered into watching Beauty and the Beast AGAIN before nap. It is becoming a daily event!

Crazy kids!

Both of them... the actual kid and the dog! Charlotte has thoroughly been enjoying Baylie these past couple days. I am not so sure Baylie has been enjoying Charlotte but she has been tolerant. While we were video chatting with Chris the other day, Charlotte was chasing Baylie around the playroom with the doll stroller. Poor Baylie couldn't escape. She made up for it yesterday morning by playing ball with Baylie... in my bed of course!There was also lots of jumping on the bed!
And of course, telling Mama to "stay".
Charlotte went through the clean laundry and decided that she wanted to put on 4 pairs of underwear, over her pants, which already didn't match her top. It was quite an outfit!

She can't quite get up on my bed by herself, and instead of having me help her she insisted on doing it herself. Her version of a stool were her clean laundry baskets.

Even when they started to slide around, she still refused help!
Eventually the 4 pairs of underwear got peed in... even though she caught herself, she still managed to get all 4 pairs wet.
I have to say we have been doing great with potty training! Today we only had one accident, and it was after Charlotte fell and hurt her leg, she was so caught up in screaming and holding her breath that apparently she couldn't hold her pee either! She told me every time she had to go today, no more nagging her! I am truly amazed! We are still working on nighttime since she has been going about once a night. Hopefully that will stop too since she tells me every morning that she peed in the night! (Sorry if that was too much pee talk but it is important in the life of a 2 year old!) She also has been telling me every time she sees any of Baylie's "foof" in the grass! She is so helpful!

Our big girl!

Well, It's official. Charlotte is diaper free! I was planning on taking a couple days, staying home and potty training, but she kind of did it on her own, and on Thursday I called Lisa, and said "um I think she is potty trained at home, what's next". So we kept the diapers off and set off to Lisa's for dinner!We brought her little potty and she went in it when she needed to. She had one accident when we first arrived and she was too busy playing in Joli's room to tell me she had to go. Other than that we were accident free!
I can't believe she is out of diapers! I wasn't planning on actually potty training her until she was closer to two and a half, but she just did it herself!

Charlotte thinks Lisa is her second mother...After we played outside, we came in and us adults needed some quiet, so we put on Beauty and the Beast for the kids!
Yesterday was our first official day out of the house in underwear. We went to Stroller Strides and she had one accident in her stroller when she was throwing a tantrum because I wouldn't let her out. Then we went and met Lisa at the mall because we needed to get a present. We were gone from 9:00-2:30 and we only had two accidents. One in the stroller, and one when we were leaving the mall. Charlotte was exhausted and wouldn't go before we left. She told me she peed right after I backed out of our parking spot. I immediately pulled over but it was too late! She fell asleep in the car and when she woke up she found a shopping bag, put her shoes in it and walked out to the car. So we went down to the park!

Charlotte has a new thing of telling me to "stay" when she doesn't want me to follow her...
She didn't want me to follow her because she was eating sand...
She really want's to climb the rock wall, but she just isn't quite big enough, or coordinated!


We had a fun time playing and can't wait for Daddy to play with us!

More fun!

Last week before Willie and Lynsie left, Willie made Charlotte a fort out of her blocks. She thought it was the best fort ever! She was very sad the next day when it fell apart!After Charlotte's birthday, we brought home a few extra hats. Charlotte enjoyed putting them on poor Baylie!
She really likes her wheelbarrow! It was a great $4 clearance at Target find!

Yesterday afternoon Lisa brought Markus over while Joli had soccer. Charlotte was thrilled. She had someone smaller than her to boss around!

She thought his head might need some protection...
Love her... even with her drooly mouth and snotty nose!
I am not sure what she was getting to with these car sand molds over her eyes, but it was very funny to her!
Markus was as smily and happy as ever!
This morning Charlotte found the Toy Story bandaids and insisted on having them on most all her fingers...
She is a very silly two year old!

Easel!

For Charlotte's Birthday, Chris and I got her an easel. I have actually had it for months, but didn't think she was ready for it. I thought her birthday would be perfect! She also got paper, brushes, paint and paint cups, everything she needed! She carried it all outside in her wheelbarrow!She thought the cups were really neat, and then I put paint in them, and it made them that much cooler!
She was thrilled to paint! We started off with one color...
Then she graduated to two...

Then three, and I had to remind myself that she is only 2 and it is ok if she mixes the paint up to a certain degree...
She had such a great time!
Finally four colors, and I drew the line at that! Sadly, I hung her paintings up on the clothes line, and it rained that night, and they got ruined. Oh well, I am sure there will be many many more!